Key loop support member



M. V. DUELL KEY LOOP SUPPORT MEMBER Filed Dec. 8, 1951 May 25, 1954 'IA I I INVENTOR. MorganVDuell BY Attorn ay Patented May 25, 1954 KEY LOOP SUPPORT MEMBER 1 Morgan V. Duell, Oakville, Conn, assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 8, 1951, Serial No. 260,695

2 Claims.

ing intercepting a narrow slot in the barrel por- I tion of the plate. Heretofo-re, such plates employed separate and complicated locking devices to normally close the enlarged openings to prevent the accidental separation of the key loops from the plate. These locking devices have added to the cost of the key container and they sometimes become lost or detached, easily worn out, and the operation of which was not obvious to the average individual.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and cheap holder plate or support for a key case which is formed from a single piece of metal and so constructed as to require no movable parts in providing for the retention and removal of the key loops from the plate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a key container of the above character that when attached to an envelope casing of leather or like material, use is made of the inherent resistance to flexing of the casing material to hold the key loops within the plate and of the flexible and resilient characteristics of said casing to permit removal from and insertion of the key loop with the plate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a portion of the preferred form of my improved key container case.

Fig. 2 is a front plan view of the holder or support plate, per se.

Fig. 3 is a rear plan view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the plate and a portion of the casing showing the initial step in assembling a key loop.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the next step in assembling a key loop to the support plate, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the key loop completely assembled to the plate and the leather casing in a folded state.

Referring to several parts of the device as shown in the drawing by reference numerals. the

2 key container comprises a conventional cover casing I 0 of the envelope type preferably made of leather and comprising a central panel II and two-side flaps l2 and 53, left and right, respectively, that are adapted to be folded over upon the center panel I I and held together as by conventional snap fastener elements I4 and I5. The central panel I I generally serves as a backing member for a key holder plate or support as will presently appear. 7

The key holder support I6 is fastened to the inside of the center panel I I and adjacent one edge thereof as by rivets M. This key holder support comprises a flat base plate It and an integral rolled barrel portion I9 along its upper section. The longitudinal edge 20 of the barrel portion I9 is abutted against the upper face of the base plate I8 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Any of the usual forms of key loops 2| may be used in connection with the container. As shown in the drawings such a loop may be formed from a spring wire element and consisting of a straight shank 22 having an enlarged head 23 at one end and a spring loop section 24 at the opposite end into which keys may be assembled and disassembled by merely biasing the free end of the loop to one side.

In order to removably assemble the key loops 2| to the key container the flat base plate I8 of the key holder support is provided with a series of keyhole slots 25 and the barrel portion I9 is provided with a series of transverse slots 26 in line with the key hole slots 25. Each keyhole slot 25 consists of a pair of spaced openings 21 and 28 in the base plate It joined by a connecting slot 29. The openings 2? and 23 are of a size to permit the entrance of the key loop head 23 and the connecting slot 29 is of a size to permit the key loop shank 22 to slip therethrough and freely operate therein. The longitudinal slots 26 are arranged transversely of the barrel portion I9 and are of the same width as the keyhole connecting slot 29 and are separated from the key slots 25 by a bridging section 36. As best shown in Fig. 1 one end of the slots 26 extends through the longitudinal edge 26 of the barrel portion I9 and communicates with the connecting slot 29 of the key slots 25.

It is to be noted that the position of the key slot openings 25 is such that the set of openings 21 are positioned in the base plate It outside of the barrel portion I9 while the other set of opening's 28 are positioned to open into the hollow section of said barrel portion I9. Also the keyhole slots 26 are positioned closely adjacent to Itainer the enlarged head 23 will first be aligned with the openingfl from the upper face of the support I6 and forced downwardly therethrough at the same time causing the leather casing center panel or backing member I I to be bent away "from the base plate l8 adjacent the line of the rivet connection (see Fig. 4). The head 23 then will be slipped underneath the base plate It with the shank 22 of the key loop passing through the short slot 29- to a position where the head 23 may be passed upwardly through the opening 28' and into the barrel section (see Fig. 5) The inherent resilience of the leather casing willcause the center panel to flex back to its original position thus serving to close 011 the set of openings 28 and hold the key loops 2| within the barrel portion L! of the support l6.

It is to be noted that-the key'loop shanks 22 will have a hingingmovement within the longitudinal slots 26 in the barrel portion so that they can be swung down to the full line position when held in covered position withinthe casing or SWllIlg to the dotted line position as shown in Fig; 6 and held outside ofthe'casing when making use of thekey carriedby thisparticular loop. It

will be evident that to remove the key loop it is only necessary to resort to thereverse process that was-described 'in making the assembly of theloop.-

Although only one embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood that-the application'is intended to cover such changes-or modifications as come with- 4 in the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a key loop support member for a key container, said member comprising a fiat base plate and an integral rolled barrel portion along one end thereof, said base plate having a slot terminating at its opposite ends with enlarged openings, one of said openings being in said barrel portion, said barrel portion having a transverse slot aligned with said base plate slot and opening through the terminal edge or said barrel portion to permit direct communication with said base plate slot.

2. As an article of manufacture, a key loop support member for akey container, said member comprising afiat base plate and an integral rolled barrel portion along one edge thereof, said base plate having a series of parallel slots each terminating at the opposite ends with enlarged openings, one set of said openings being in said barrel portion and the other set of said openings being in saidfiat base plate, said barrel portion having a series or transverse slots aligned with said base plate slots and opening through the terminal edge of said barrel portion to permit direct communication with said base plate slot, and said base'plate having means for attachment to a flexible backing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

